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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · track · spring · chair · ruler · rash · capital · drill

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — the season
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spring — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — army training
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a song
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com